Latin American first ladies raise issue of immigrant children

By Gary Martin :
April 24, 2012
: Updated: April 25, 2012 3:07pm

WASHINGTON — First ladies from Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala on Tuesday urged the governments in the Western Hemisphere to help combat a growing surge in illegal immigration of unaccompanied children.

The first ladies attended an international conference sponsored by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a two-day event to address issues associated with migrant children.

The conference comes just one week after 100 unaccompanied undocumented immigrants were taken to a Lackland AFB dormitory in San Antonio because shelters and facilities operated by nonprofit and religious organizations were out of space.

More than 7,000 unaccompanied migrant children were detained last year in the United States, according to USCRI.

The surge in unaccompanied immigration children comes as a time when the overall volume of illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States is down, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

“We are all a little speculative on why the number of children immigrants is up,” said Lavinia Limon, U.S. Committee for Refugee and Immigrants president and chief executive officer.

Most are seeking to join parents or relatives who migrated earlier, or to escape troubled homes and environments, or because of gang activities, the first ladies told the conference, titled “On Their Own,” at the Organization of American States.

“Our children should have the greatest protection that adults and agencies can provide them,” Bonilla de Lobo said.

Zavala said legislative efforts were under way in Mexico to streamline reunification of children to parents, improve access to educational opportunities and social services.

Educating and making immigrants aware of the dangers of illegal immigration, as well as the realities faced by immigrants in new countries such as the United States should be stressed, Zavala said.

The Pew Hispanic Center study released this week found the decrease in Mexican immigration to the United States is largely the result of the economic downturn and a lack of available jobs.

Limon said the surge in immigration by unaccompanied children is a recent phenomenon, but one that raises concerns because illegal immigrant children found in the United States cannot be treated as adults, or as criminals.

Last week, the U.S. Health and Human Services' division of Unaccompanied Children's Services moved about 100 children into unused dormitories at Lackland because of a lack of space elsewhere.

A San Antonio military spokesman said the use of the dormitory was “temporary housing” until other facilities are made available.

Unaccompanied immigrant children are not kept at federal immigration detention centers. Most are housed in shelters provided by nonprofits and religious organizations, according to U.S. Health and Human Services.

Meanwhile, the children at Lackland are undergoing evaluation.

Attempts to reunite them with families are being made, as well as arrangements with foster families and providing legal counsel for those eligible for refugee or protected status, officials said.

Zavala said the majority of unaccompanied children migrating north come from Central and Southern Mexico, as well as Central American countries.